How to identify scams like "New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime"?
Our team has analyzed this email and learned that it is deceptive. It is disguised as a notification from an organization regarding employment benefits. Scammers behind this email seek to steal personal information from recipients. Such emails are known as phishing attempts, and recipients should ignore them to avoid potential risks.
More about the "New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime" scam email
This scam email (posing as a message from a manager) informs the recipient about policy changes related to bonuses, salary, and overtime, effective October 2024. It urges the recipient to review the changes by signing into their email via a provided link ("FILL OUT FORM" button).
While our team was inspecting this scam, the provided link led to a website that was down. However, links in such emails usually lead to fake email account login websites requesting visitors to enter their login credentials (email addresses and passwords). Entering information on these pages results in scammers stealing it.
When scammers steal email account login credentials, they can try to use the compromised account to access personal information, including financial details. They can also send phishing emails to the victim's contacts, posing as the victim to trick them into providing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links.
Furthermore, they might try to access other online accounts (such as social media or banking accounts). Additionally, stolen credentials can be sold on the dark web to other cybercriminals. Therefore, it is important to be careful when encountering suspicious emails to avoid data theft, monetary loss, or other issues.
| Name | New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | There are updates regarding policy changes within recipient's organization. |
| Disguise | Letter from the recipient's organization |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Similar scam emails in general
Emails of this type often use urgent language to lure recipients into taking quick action without examining the email. They typically include misleading links or attachments. Additionally, they tend to impersonate legitimate organizations (or other entities) to trick recipients into believing they are legitimate.
Examples of similar scam emails are "Mailbox Security Maintenance", "Capital One - Unrecognized Transaction Claim", and "Join Zoom Meeting". It is important to know that such emails can be used to deliver malicious software.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
When threat actors use email for malware distribution, they aim to trick recipients into downloading harmful files or clicking malicious links. These emails may include various file types, such as executable files, Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, ISO files, scripts, and compressed formats like ZIP and RAR. When users open these files, they risk triggering malware execution.
The consequences of opening a malicious file depend on the file type. For instance, opening a malicious MS Office document requires the user to enable macros for the malware to take effect, whereas executing a harmful file can cause immediate system damage.
Links within these emails can redirect users to fake websites that either prompt malware downloads or initiate the download automatically.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Always scrutinize emails before opening attachments or clicking links from unknown senders, especially if the emails seem irrelevant, unexpected, or raise suspicion in any other way. Do not interact with advertisements, pop-ups, buttons, or links on dubious websites.
Ensure you only download software and files from trusted sources, such as official websites and reputable app stores, and avoid pirated software or cracking tools. Regularly update your operating system and applications to keep your system secure. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime" scam letter:
Subject: Employment Benefits Policy By Management - Mid Year Appraisal
NEW POLICY FOR SALARY, BONUSES AND OVERTIME
Dear ********,I hope this email finds you well. We would like to inform you of some important updates regarding policy changes within our organization.
Enclosed below, you will find two new policy amendments that will be implemented with effect from October 2024 which borders on Bonuses, Salary and Overtime.
We encourage each of you to sign into your email below to be able to see and review these changes carefully.
FILL OUT FORM
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. We look forward to your continued support as we strive to enhance our work environment and policies for the benefit of all employees.
MANAGER
In the event that you have any questions or suggestions pertaining to these modifications, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at ********
Unsubscribe From This List | Manage Email Preferences
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Quick menu:
- What is New Policy For Salary, Bonuses And Overtime phishing email?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
You likely received this email because it was sent to a large group of recipients as part of a scam (the scammers did not specifically target you).
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have shared your login details, it is crucial to change all affected passwords immediately. Additionally, enable two-factor authentication on your accounts for added security if possible and monitor your accounts for suspicious activities.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
The likelihood of infection varies depending on the file type you interacted with. For instance, you may have prevented the attack if you opened a compromised Word document without enabling macros. However, if you opened an infected executable file, your system is likely compromised.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Your computer stays safe as long as you read suspicious emails without opening attachments or clicking on links.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can remove nearly all known malware. However, advanced malware can conceal itself deep within your system, so it is essential to perform a full system scan for proper detection and removal.
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